Herbarium Digitization Supervisor

Summary: This is a temporary multi-year position to supervise digitization activities in the Missouri Botanical Garden Herbarium. With nearly 8 million specimens of preserved plants, the MBG Herbarium is one of the largest and most active research collections in the world and serves as a core resource for the Garden's Science and Conservation Division. The successful candidate for this position will join a dedicated team of scientists and support staff in the Herbarium to produce high-quality specimen data to serve urgent global needs in research, conservation, land management, and policymaking. This role requires excellent time management and interpersonal skills, a thoughtful and collaborative approach to problem solving, and a deep passion for plants. Core duties include supervising the day-to-day work of digitization technicians, batch processing of images, data quality assurance (QA), troubleshooting technical and workflow issues, communicating with a variety of project stakeholders within the Garden, and helping the Digitization Project Manager ensure project goals are met while maintaining high quality standards.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Leads a team of technical staff, interns, and volunteers in various digitization projects.
• Implements and improves digitization workflows and ensures quality standards are maintained and progress goals are met.
• Troubleshoots equipment-related problems, with help from the IT department.
• Communicates results, progress, and challenges with Project Manager in a timely and professional manner.
• Communicates with external contractors to coordinate data quality assurance.
• Documents all procedures and tracks digitization productivity through appropriate metrics.
• Recruits, trains, and evaluates digitization staff.
• Ensures that all applicable safety standards are followed; informs employees/students/volunteers of safety guidelines, methods to reduce hazards. Reports all accidents, injuries and near-miss accidents immediately.
• Behaves and communicates in a manner that promotes and fosters a culture of teamwork

and cooperation, within our division and throughout the Garden, with co-workers, supervisors/managers, volunteers, visitors and employees.

• Performs other duties as assigned.

Supervisory Responsibilities: This position serves as the primary supervisor for five or more full-time digitization technicians and may also supervise student interns and volunteers as needed.

Core Competencies

• Communication: Combines listening skills, verbal and written communication skills and visitor relation skills.
• Collaboration: Incorporates teamwork, mutual respect, active engagement, cooperation and visitor focus.
• Accountability: Initiative to take ownership of responsibilities, the ability to prioritize and the working knowledge and skills to take action.
• Problem Solving: Blends problem solving skills, judgement and decision making skills along with creativity and resourcefulness.
• Stewardship: Merges the practical application of the Garden values and support for a positive organizational climate.

Qualifications/Experience:

• Three to five years' related experience in digitization, preferably in the context of herbaria, required.
• Minimum of two (2) years experience leading and directing the work of others.

• Advanced knowledge of digital photography, including best practices in color standardization, metadata capture, and archival file storage, required.
• Computer hardware and software proficiency required (see Computer Skills section below).

• Exceptional demonstrated project management, organizational, time management, and problem solving and conflict resolution skills.
• Knowledge of botanical terminology is a plus

• Scheduling flexibility is required to work evenings, weekends, or holidays.
• The Garden is committed to the safety and wellbeing of our employees, volunteers and guests. All staff are strongly encouraged to receiveall vaccinationsas recommended by your healthcareprovider prior to hire date.The Garden reserves the right to require future proof of current vaccination status, based onlocalhealth department guidelines. When international travel is necessary for Garden business, staff must be able to obtainrequired travel clearances, driving permits, andvaccinationsfor all countries where travel is required.

• The requirements and duties listed are representative and not exhaustive of the knowledge, skill, and/or abilities required.

Education:

• A Bachelor's degree, ideally in a field relevant to botany, digitization, or management, is required.

• An equivalent combination of education, skills and experience may be considered.

Other Skills and Abilities: N/A.

Language Skills: Ability to communicate effectively in English (oral/written) required. Knowledge of additional languages, especially Spanish, French, and Mandarin Chinese, desired.

Reasoning Ability: Requires ability to exercise independent judgment to apply facts and principles for developing approaches and techniques to problem resolution.

Computer Skills:

• Proficiency using Microsoft Office, including Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, required

• Solid Internet research skills.

• Strong knowledge of imaging software, including Capture One and Adobe Photoshop, required.
• Must understand computer operating systems in order to troubleshoot hardware and software issues.
• Familiarity with project management software strongly desired.

Physical Demands:

• Ability to utilize computer keyboard (typing) and sit for extended periods of the workday.

• Must be able to lift and carry 20 pounds.
• Requires clarity of vision at 20 inches or less with the ability to bring objects into sharp focus.
• Requires clarity of vision to accurately clarify colors.
• Actively works hands-on with scanning and computer equipment.
• May be required to perform tasks at varying heights (i.e., climb ladders, step stools, etc.)

Work Environment:

• Quiet indoor office setting; shared work space, office environment with multiple staff within the department.
• Possible travel to professional meetings.

Contacts with Individuals/Organizations inside/outside the Garden:

• Garden employees and volunteers.
• External digitization consultants
• Peer institutions and collaborators

Supervisor: Digitization Project Manager